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A Tennessee Titans BlogFri, 27 Mar 2015 02:31:32 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1Titans Miss Playoff Berth at End of Magical Seasonhttp://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/titans-miss-playoff-berth-at-end-of-magical-season.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=titans-miss-playoff-berth-at-end-of-magical-season
http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/titans-miss-playoff-berth-at-end-of-magical-season.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000The Titans’ magical season came to an end on a wet Sunday afternoon in Nashville. Tennessee needed four things to happen to make the playoffs, and three of them happened. The only one that didn’t was a Titans’ win over the Patriots. Tennessee needed help from Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco, and all of them won. But the only game in the Titans’ control was the one they couldn’t control.
New England coach Bill Belichick unexpectedly left Tom Brady, and most other starters, in the game well into the fourth quarter, as the Patriots rolled to a 40-23 victory. The Pats outplayed the Titans on both sides of the ball and deserved to win.
Belichick did something in the fourth quarter that left me with mixed feelings, when he inserted Vinny Testaverde, to pad Testaverde’s record. The 43-year old Vinny threw his first TD pass of the year to extend his record of seasons with a TD pass to 20 years.
I have mixed feelings because I’m happy for Testaverde, and glad that Belichick gave him the opportunity for a record. On the other hand, it smacks of running up the score.
Titans’ LB Keith Bulluck agreed with the latter.

“I don’t think that was really necessary,” said Bulluck.

Yes, the Titans could have made the playoffs with a win, but they would have been rightly cast as pretenders, not contenders. Tennessee is still a few players away from being a quality team, as evidenced by embarrassing losses in the regular season to the Chargers, Cowboys, Jaguars (first meeting), and Patriots, who tallied 40, 45, 37, and 43 points on the scoreboard, respectfully.
New England jumped out to a 19-3 first half lead and maintained control. Two big touchdown plays, an 81-yard punt return by Pacman Jones, and a 28-yard scramble by Vince Young, narrowed the score to 26-23, but the Titans could get no closer than that.
Take out those two big plays, and it shows the difference in talent on both sides of the ball. New England methodically outperformed Tennessee more plays than not.
Congrats to the Patriots and to all the other teams in the playoffs. They’re deserving. Maroney and Dillon combined for 140 yards rushing and Reche Caldwell caught four passes for 134 yards and a touchdown.
The Titans got a taste of becoming a good team and a playoff contender again. Kudos to them for some of their best games against quality opposition this year. Today was another story, though. The effort wasn’t quite enough to overcome a better team.
I’m very encouraged with what I’ve seen this year, and believe the foundation is now in place to restore the Titans to their place as one of the best teams in the league.

]]>http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/titans-miss-playoff-berth-at-end-of-magical-season.html/feed0Tennessee vs New England Pregame Analysishttp://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/tennessee-vs-new-england-pregame-analysis.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tennessee-vs-new-england-pregame-analysis
http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/tennessee-vs-new-england-pregame-analysis.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000The final regular season game of the year has playoff implications for the 8-7 Titans, something thought to be improbable after an 0-5 start. Tennessee must win to remain in contention for a playoff berth, and will also need help from Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco.
The Titans will face the 11-4 AFC East champion New England Patriots, who currently have the AFC number four seed in the playoffs. A Patriot win plus an Indianapolis loss would give New England the third seed.
Field: Grass. Forecast: A 60% chance of showers, mostly cloudy, high near 66°, S wind 10-15 mph, with gusts to 25 mph. Kickoff: 12:00 noon, CT. New England Scouting Report: The three-time Super Bowl champion Patriots have clinched their fourth consecutive division title, and fifth in six years. Although it’s unsure how many starters coach Bill Belichick will rest, one can look to history for a clue. The Pats were in a similar situation a year ago, assured of a playoff spot, and Belichick was cautious, electing to sit his stars for most of the final regular season game.Offense - QB Tom Brady (3304 yards, 23 TDs) took a questionable hit on his right (throwing) shoulder at Jacksonville last week and is listed as probable on the injury report. The probable future Hall of Famer is expected to start for the 105th straight game, but will likely sit out most of the game after several series. Second-year pro Matt Cassell will get the work for the rest of the day.
New England has a good one-two punch in the running game with veteran Corey Dillon (745 yards, 11 TDs) and rookie Laurence Maroney (672 yds, 5 TDs). They average 4.1 yards per carry. Kevin Faulk and Heath Evans may also see action.
The passing game doesn’t have a receiver that can be focused on, as Brady likes to spread the ball around. Eleven different players have recorded double-digit receptions, eleven have caught touchdown passes, and five of them are tied for the team lead with three TDs apiece. WR Reche Caldwell leads the team in receptions with 57, and TE Benjamin Watson leads with 643 receiving yards. New England likes to use a lot of two and three-tight end sets.
Offensive linemen are usually unrecognized, but the Pats’ O-line has been good enough to make the running game work, protect Brady, and star in a TV commercial.
New England has the eighth-ranked scoring offense (23 ppg), are eleventh in total offense with 330 yards per game, and twelfth in both rushing (120 ypg) and passing (211 ypg).Defense - The Patriots’ 3-4 defense is largely responsible for the teams’ three Vince Lombardi trophies in the last five years. Perhaps the closest comparison to a defense the Titans are familiar with is Miami’s, in that both show a lot of looks out of their 3-4s.
RDE Richard Seymour is the only Pat defender who garnered Pro Bowl honors this year, selected as an interior lineman. LDE Ty Warren has 77 tackles and 6½ sacks. NT Vince Wilfork returned to practice this week after missing the last two games.
Inside linebackers Teddy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel are very active, leading the team in tackles with a combined 191, plus six passes defensed, five sacks, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. Outside backers Rosevelt Colvin (7½ sacks) and Tully Banta-Cain (5½ sacks) are both good at putting a hand down and rushing the passer.
Titan fans have been talking about the possibility of acquiring CB Asante Samuel (8 INTs) in free agency and they’ll get a chance to watch him at work. SS Rodney Harrison is the glue that holds the secondary together. He played last week for the first time since breaking his shoulder in November.
The Patriots are second in the league in scoring defense (14.3 ppg), fifth against the run (92 ypg), sixth in total defense (291 ypg), and 13th in pass defense (200 ypg).Special teams - Super Bowl hero Adam Vinatieri left in free agency, and has been replaced by Stephen Gostkowski (18/23, long 52). Ken Walter punts for only 36.9 yards gross and 33.7 net. Kevin Faulk is a good punt return man, averaging 10.6 yards, fourth best in the league. Maroney has a nifty 28-yard return average on kicks, second in the league. Last week, Ellis Hobbs returned three kicks for a 27.7 average, and has returned five for the season with one TD and a 45.4 average. The cover units allow 8.2 ypr on punts (16th), with one TD, and 23.1 on kicks (23rd).Expected Strategies: This contest will be much like a preseason game for New England. They probably won’t play most of their starters past the first quarter and won’t show anything new, just sticking with their basic stuff. On the other hand, it’s a must-win game for the Titans. Expect Jeff Fisher to do the unexpected in the way of trick plays, fake punts, onsides kicks, etc., if the game is close.
Weather will probably be a factor with the rain and wind, meaning both teams will try to run more than pass.Key Matchups: Tennessee’s O-line vs New England’s front seven. Michael Roos and Jacob Bell vs Seymour will be a good matchup to watch.Connections: David Givens won two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots. Reserve DE Sean Conover is from Massachusetts.Last meeting: New England beat Tennessee 38-30 in October 2003. Ty Law intercepted a Steve McNair pass and returned it for a touchdown to clinch the game.Prediction: Special teams and turnovers will probably determine the outcome of this game, especially if the weather is a factor. The Titans should have an advantage if Belichick pulls Brady from the game early and rests other players as expected.Titans 20
Patriots 17
]]>http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/tennessee-vs-new-england-pregame-analysis.html/feed0Tennessee vs New England Injury Reporthttp://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/tennessee-vs-new-england-injury-report.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tennessee-vs-new-england-injury-report
http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/tennessee-vs-new-england-injury-report.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000Note: This report will be updated daily or as necessary.Tennessee Titans:
Questionable - DT Tony Brown (Knee), TE Casey Cramer (Neck), RB Travis Henry (Ankle), DE Travis LaBoy (Knee), TE Bo Scaife (Ankle), DT Robaire Smith (Toe), WR Bobby Wade (Ankle)Wednesday report: Brown injured his knee during practice and was carted off the field. An MRI was negative, but the extent of the injury is uncertain. Henry, LaBoy, Scaife, and Wade did not practice. Thursday update: Scaife practiced in team drills, the first time he’s practiced after missing the last two games. Brown, LaBoy, Smith, and Wade all missed practice.Friday update: Brown and Wade returned to practice, while Scaife also practiced again.New England Patriots:
Questionable - FS Rashad Baker (Thigh), WR Brandon Childress (Ankle), RB Kevin Faulk (Knee), DE Marquise Hill (Knee), T Ryan O’Callaghan (Neck), CB Chad Scott (Back), TE Benjamin Watson (Knee), NT Vince Wilfork (Ankle), DE Mike Wright (Shoulder)Probable - QB Tom Brady (Right Shoulder), SS Rodney Harrison (Shoulder), CB Ellis Hobbs (Wrist), DE Richard Seymour (Elbow)Wednesday report: Brady missed portions of practice. He’s been listed as probable on the Injury Report for every game this year and has started all of them.Thursday update: Brady missed practice again. Watson and Wilfork missed portions of practice.Friday update: Brady and Wilfork returned to practice. Watson missed a portion of practice.
____________________________________________________NFL definitions:
Probable  75 percent chance player will play in the game
Questionable  50 percent chance player will play in the game
Doubtful  25 percent chance player will play in the game
Out  player will not play in the game
]]>http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/tennessee-vs-new-england-injury-report.html/feed0Guest article: Titans Offensive Play Breakdown vs Jaguarshttp://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/guest-article-titans-offensive-play-breakdown-vs-jaguars.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guest-article-titans-offensive-play-breakdown-vs-jaguars
http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/guest-article-titans-offensive-play-breakdown-vs-jaguars.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000Thanks to Tom, a friend and regular reader of Total Titans, who often adds insightful comments to my articles. He’s been blogging for several years on various topics, including occasional articles on the Titans.
Tom has been kind enough to contribute the following breakdown of the Titans’ offensive plays in the Jacksonville game. It’s a good-looking chart showing down-and-distance, yardline, formation, etc., with Tom’s expert opinion added. It took a lot of time to review that much tape, with so many comments, and we should all appreciate that.
I’d also appreciate your feedback on what he’s done. Thanks for the good work, Tom!
]]>http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/guest-article-titans-offensive-play-breakdown-vs-jaguars.html/feed0Week Sixteen Game Notes and Tuesday Reflectionshttp://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/week-sixteen-game-notes-and-tuesday-reflections.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=week-sixteen-game-notes-and-tuesday-reflections
http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/week-sixteen-game-notes-and-tuesday-reflections.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000From some of my game notes, with afterthoughts added.
When the schedule for the season came out, Travis Henry circled the Buffalo game. I did too, mentally, but for different reasons. At the time, I expected the Titans to have a losing record and be out of playoff contention by this time in the season. Having to play on the road on Christmas Eve did not sound appealing, especially in the wind and cold Buffalo is known for.
Prior to gametime, I reflected on several other non-game related things. The Music City Miracle came to mind of course. Craig Hentrich and Benji Olson were the only players on that team who are still on the active roster. Zach Piller, also on that team, is on Injured Reserve, and Frank Wycheck, whose lateral sparked the controversy, is now with Titans Radio as the color commentator.
I also reflected on the origins of the American Football League. After the passing of Lamar Hunt earlier this month, only Titans owner Bud Adams and Bills owner Ralph Wilson survive as founding fathers of the league.
On to the game. The wind was as expected, but the cold was not. I was glad the Bills’ defense was not particularly good stopping the run. I wasn’t looking forward to having to watch Vince Young have to throw in the wind playing catch-up ball.
Built on speed, not size, similar to Indianapolis, the Buffalo D would give up chunks of yardage to Henry. It was a little surprising to see both teams move the ball against the wind in the first half. The Cheese would surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the half, the third time he gained over 1,000 in his career.
This reminds me of how he got his nickname. In college at UT, another player hit him in practice once and then said, “You’re stronger than government cheese!”
Henry did not go down easily against Bills would-be tacklers. It took several defenders to stop him on quite a few occasions. After getting his 1,000 yards, Henry would go on to also surpass the 1,100 yard mark, on his way to a 135-yard day. He also had a 57-yard run called back on a holding penalty.
The wind came into play vividly on a 42-yard field goal by Rob Bironas. Normally a chip shot for him, the distance was at the edge of his range into the wind. At game’s end, Buffalo would pass on fourth down, rather than try a slightly longer field goal at that end of the field.
Bironas had difficulty kicking off into the wind, punter Craig Hentrich had some of his punts knocked down by the wind, and snapper Ken Amato had most of his snaps sail high. Hentrich did an outstanding job holding for the field goals and PATs.
Some teams are built on certain factors, such as a grass field or turf. The Bills are in part built to take advantage of the weather conditions. They have a very good kicker, punter, and return men to give them the best special teams in the league. Their punt and kick returners, along with the wind, gave Tennessee problems. Buffalo QB J.P. Losman has an arm strong enough to throw into the stiff wind.
The wind wasn’t a factor when Young scored another electrifying touchdown with only seconds left in the half. After breaking the LOS and into the open field, I think everybody knew he was gone, even though he still had 40 yards to traverse against half a team of defenders. Credit Kevin Mawae and the O-line for a few good blocks. Young’s touchdown was reminiscent of his overtime dash in Houston two weeks ago.
Penalties would play a part in the game, usually not a good omen for Tennessee. A rare occasion, an untimed play due to a defensive penalty, gave Buffalo a gift three points at the end of the half. The Titans had 11 penalties for 81 yards, enough to usually lose a game. And of course, there were also the 57 yards which would have flipped the field lost due to penalty.
That third quarter was a real bear. It was played on the Titans’ end and Buffalo scored 10 points playing the short field. The 57-yarder was called back, the Titans had three three-and-outs, and Young didn’t have a pass completion in the quarter. I kept looking at the game clock, counting down the time and trying to will the clock to run faster, hoping the Titans could get out of the quarter as soon as possible.
Tennessee was lucky the Bills only scored 10 in the quarter. They were fooled badly on a lateral to Evans who threw into the end zone to a wide open TE Royal, who didn’t get both feet down for the TD.
With the change of direction for the fourth quarter, the Tennessee hopes seemed to change also. A nine-point deficit didn’t seem insurmountable after the fourth-quarter comebacks in recent games.
The wind shouldn’t have had anything to do with it, but the Titan ground game came alive again in the fourth quarter. Rushes by Young and Henry gave the Titans their first two first downs of the second half. A pair of passes to Brandon Jones were the first two completions of the half and yielded a Titan TD.
The series gave credence once again to the statement that the running game opens things up for the passing game. Bills safety Donte Whitner moved up to show the Titans a lot of eight in the box and ended up as Buffalo’s leading tackler with 14.
Jones ended up with the first 100-yard receiving game of his career.
The O-line really took the game over in the fourth quarter. On the Titans’ final possession, they ran the ball 13 times and passed once, moving the ball 75 yards and taking seven minutes off the clock on the drive. The only pass play was a one-yard dump to Ahmard Hall, who added 11 more yards on RAC.
Some fans may find that kind of football boring. Titans’ fans know it’s what Jeff Fisher believes in, and it’s hard to argue with the success he’s often had with the philosophy.
Tennessee’s next game is Sunday vs New England. The Patriots have clinched a playoff spot as the AFC East champions and have a number four seed. They’re expected to give their starters a lot of rest, making the Titans a favorite for the game.
The Titans still have an outside shot at making the playoffs. The following must occur for Tennessee:
1) The Titans win
2) Cincinatti loses or ties against Pittsburgh
3) Jacksonville loses at Kansas City
4) Denver loses to San Francisco
Here are the early lines for the game:
Tennessee -3 vs New England
Cincinatti -6 vs Pittsburgh
Kansas City -2½ vs Jacksonville
Denver -10½ vs San Francisco
]]>http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/week-sixteen-game-notes-and-tuesday-reflections.html/feed0Tennessee Week Sixteen Postgame Quoteshttp://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/tennessee-week-sixteen-postgame-quotes.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tennessee-week-sixteen-postgame-quotes
http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/tennessee-week-sixteen-postgame-quotes.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000Jeff Fisher – “Our instruction was to kick the ball just short and let them touch it and the half’s over. Shows you what can happen with a second left. That’s the thing that is so important about this win and it’s a great learning experience. You can’t afford to have those type things happen, yet we were able to overcome that. This is the first time that we’ve overcome mistakes and won a ballgame.”
Kevin Mawae – “We’re making the unconventional seem pretty mundane. Games like this, it’s a testament to how much we’ve come along and guys trusting in each other and guys that need to make plays making plays.”
Travis Henry – “It feels real good because our playoff hopes are still alive. This is one of the games I circled, when I found out we were playing Buffalo.”
Kyle Vanden Bosch – “I’ve never been in a situation where I’m still alive in the playoffs. I am usually playing for pride at this point in the season. We’ve got a chance. The way this team keeps finding ways to win, we are a dangerous team right now.”
Keith Bulluck – “It shows a lot about how resilient we are. Weve been in just about every situation this year. Weve been down a lot and weve come back and won. Weve won when we havent played especially well. But we know there is always a way for us to win. Now we have one more game left and it might be for us to go to the playoffs. Well see what happens.”
Brandon Jones – “I dont know if we are a team of destiny, but we have something special going on around here. We are a team, and winning as one.”
Travis Henry – “We started out 0-5, and we have just been on a roll. We just know how to win, and it feels great. We are just going to play this last game and see what happens.”
Kevin Mawae – “It’s an emergency situation for the o-line. When Vince runs, we all run. I was fortunate I was able to help him out. I’m just glad he made a play and got in the end zone.”
Vince Young – “I’m gifted with God-given talent in my legs. Buffalo did a good job in the coverage and I just took the ball down and I had probably six big guys in front of me and LenDale got a good block to spur me off.”
Reynaldo Hill – “It is real big for me. Earlier in the season it was hard for me to get an interception and now when I have a chance to get one I am trying to do whatever I can to seal the game.”
Vince Young – “We had some ups and downs in the game. The wind was real crazy.”
Craig Hentrich – “That’s one of the worst wind games I’ve played in in a couple years. It was predominantly going one direction, but it was swirling both corners. The snapping was tough, trying to catch the snaps was tough and obviously whenever I dropped it (to punt) the ball blew a lot, because I hit one dead left. It was just a tough day and I’m glad it’s done.”
Rob Bironas – “It [his 42-yard field goal] had just enough. I didn’t see how much it dropped in by, but I know it hovered right up there.”
Craig Hentrich – “I don’t know why they didn’t try [a last-minute field goal to win]. Lindell’s made a couple field goals over 50 this year. I think if he got a little low on the wind he could have made it. But I’m glad he didn’t try.”
Jeff Fisher – “This probably sums up what we’re about. We got the ball back and ran seven minutes off the clock and did most of it on the ground.”
Kevin Mawae – “We wanted to keep it close and get an opportunity to win it at the end. We had a bunch of guys make plays. We felt confident we could establish the run game and stick to it. We had a slow start, and they took away some of the things we wanted to do, but we came back to the stuff that was working and Travis did a great job finding the holes and Ahmard did a great job blocking for him and the offensive line played solid.”
Ahmard Hall – “When Travis rushes for 100 yards, it’s like me rushing for 100 yards. Coach Fisher is a smart coach. He knows what to do and he put us in the position and we ran seven minutes off the clock. That’s what you have to do at the end of the game.”
Travis Henry – “It was great. We knew we had to have ball control. The offense blocked, I ran hard. We kept the chains moving and kept the clock running.”
Norm Chow – “You could tell this week, he [Brandon Jones] worked hard, he was ready for the game. He was real fast out on the field and it was nice to see.”
Drew Bennett – “Vince did a great job of spreading the ball around, found who was open and made good throws.”
Brandon Jones – “Every week he [Young] does something to amaze me. I can’t believe some of the things that he does.”
Vince Young – “That’s all you heard all season, that a rookie’s not going to be able to do this and that. And I took that as, `Hey, let’s show the world that you can do that.’ ”
Frank Wycheck – “I stayed in and had room service at the hotel. I didn’t want to take the chance of going out.”Compiled from various media sources.
]]>http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/tennessee-week-sixteen-postgame-quotes.html/feed0Titans Give Fans a Win for Christmashttp://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/titans-give-fans-a-win-for-christmas.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=titans-give-fans-a-win-for-christmas
http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/titans-give-fans-a-win-for-christmas.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000Tennessee scored ten unanswered fourth-quarter points and held on just enough for a 30-29 victory over the Bills. The Titans’ offensive line pounded the smaller Bills defenders as Tennessee had 215 total rushing yards. Travis Henry carried 25 times for 135 yards, not including a 57-yard run called back on a penalty. Henry has now surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the season, the third time he’s done that in his career. It was the Cheese’s first return to Buffalo since the Bills traded him to Tennessee last summer.
In what has become commonplace for the Titans lately, it was another crazy win with a wild ending. With less than a minute remaining, Buffalo had a fourth-and-five at the Titans 28-yard line, with a chance to kick a 46-yard go-ahead field goal. Their field goal team went on the field and then came back off, apparently because of the stiff wind Rian Lindell would have to kick into. J.P. Losman’s desperation pass under pressure was intercepted by Reynaldo Hill, sealing the Titans’ win.
Two plays before that, Hill made another big play with an open-field tackle, holding the Bills at the 28. If Hill missed that tackle, Buffalo would have been in field goal range and the game could have had a different outcome.
Vince Young passed for two touchdowns on 13-for-20 passing and 183 yards, compiling a 127.7 passer rating. He also added 61 yards rushing, with an electrifying 36-yard touchdown run. It was one of his best games of the year, which is saying something after he won the Rookie of the Week award three consecutive times earlier this season.
Rob Bironas was perfect on three field goal attempts, including a 42-yard kick into the wind, which barely cleared the crossbar. Craig Hentrich did an outstanding job holding for him, handling several bad snaps.
The win is the sixth in a row and eighth of the last ten for Tennessee, bringing their record to 8-7. They remain alive in playoff contention for a wild card berth.
Game balls this week are awarded as follows.Offense - Vince Young, 183 yards passing with two TDs and 61 yards rushing and one TD.
Honorable Mention – Travis Henry (135 yards rushing) and Brandon Jones, who had five catches for 101 yards and a TD.Defense - Reynaldo Hill, who had six unassisted tackles and the game-clinching interception.
Honorable Mention – Keith Bulluck, with eight tackles.Special Teams - Rob Bironas, who had three field goals and three PATs in the gusting wind.
Honorable Mention – Craig Hentrich, for handling all the bad snaps and getting good holds down for Bironas.
]]>http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/titans-give-fans-a-win-for-christmas.html/feed0The Music City Miracle Revisitedhttp://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/the-music-city-miracle-revisited.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-music-city-miracle-revisited
http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/the-music-city-miracle-revisited.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000When Tennessee plays Buffalo, longtime Titans fans can’t help but think about the Music City Miracle.
Here’s the info for new Titans’ fans. In a 1999 playoff game, the Bills kicked a late field goal to take a 16-15 lead over the Titans with only seconds left on the clock. Titans special teams coach Alan Lowry pulled a play from the bottom of his bag, one he had been reserving for a special occasion.
The play, named “Homerun Throwback”, called for TE Frank Wycheck to get the ball, run to the right, and lateral cross-field on the kick return. Despite a change in circumstances on the play, it worked, and Tennessee won the game after a review by the replay official, who ruled that Wycheck’s lateral to Kevin Dyson was not an illegal forward pass.
Buffalo fans would later call the play “Homerun Throwforward”, contending it was a forward lateral. Bills owner Ralph Wilson would later say the play ripped the heart out of the team for years and set the franchise backwards.
Pat Ryan, the former UT and NY Jet quarterback, was the color commentator on Titans Radio at the time. As soon as Dyson caught Wycheck’s lateral, Ryan said, “He’s got something,” a phrase he repeated as the wall of blockers unfolded and Dyson ran down the field unmolested. Announcer Mike Keith also made a great call when he excitedly proclaimed, “There are no flags on the field! The Titans have pulled a miracle!”Titans All Access, the weekly Titans TV show, has this review of the play, including analysis by Lowry and comments from Wycheck. Enjoy!
]]>http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/the-music-city-miracle-revisited.html/feed0Brandon Jones Honored with Ed Block Courage Awardhttp://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/brandon-jones-honored-with-ed-block-courage-award.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=brandon-jones-honored-with-ed-block-courage-award
http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/brandon-jones-honored-with-ed-block-courage-award.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000I was watching from the stands as the play unfolded a little more than a year ago. Brandon Jones was running a deep out route, as memory serves, and he fell to the ground making his cut. It was raining a little that day and I thought he simply slipped on the wet turf. The pass from Steve McNair was already in the air and with Jones on the ground, the 49er defender had an easy pick and ran it back down the sideline for a touchdown.
Concern began to set in when Jones didn’t get up and the trainers and Doc Burton went onto the field. The concern intensified when Jeff Fisher walked across the field for a look too. Fisher doesn’t normally do that unless the injury is serious.
My concerns were alleviated a little when Jones walked off the field under his own power. A day or two later, however, an MRI confirmed Jones had torn an ACL, the same injury which had sidelined Tyrone Calico, Tank Williams, Peter Sirmon, and Jacob Bell the year before. All were slowed the following year, nowhere near their former selves.
In large part because of the inability of those four to play at their previous level, I didn’t think Jones would play well this year, if at all. I even speculated he would be placed on the PUP list (physically unable to perform) at the beginning of this season. He would then be given a grace period before the Titans would have to either activate him, release him, or place him on Injured Reserve.
Jones surprised me, and most other people too, when he performed well in training camp. He spent a lot of time and hard work in the offseason rehabbing the knee and it paid off. In the final preseason game, Jones showed he hadn’t lost any speed when he took a short pass on a crossing route and outran defenders all the way down the field for a touchdown.
Jones has started eight games this year and has 21 catches for 230 yards. His three receiving touchdowns are tied with Drew Bennett for the team lead.
Teammates have noticed the work ethic Jones displayed during his rehab and they’ve voted him to be this year’s recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award. The award is given to the player who exemplifies a commitment to sportsmanship and courage, as voted on by his teammates.

“That is a blessing from God to get an award like that and for the guys to notice me like that,” Jones said. “It means a lot to me and my family.”

Previous award recipients include Steve McNair (1999), Kenny Holmes (2000), Kevin Dyson (2001), Eddie George (2002), Kevin Carter (2003), Keith Bulluck (2004) and Tank Williams (2005).
Those are some good people and that’s pretty good company to be in.

]]>http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/brandon-jones-honored-with-ed-block-courage-award.html/feed0Around the League Week Sixteen Forecasthttp://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/around-the-league-week-sixteen-forecast.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=around-the-league-week-sixteen-forecast
http://totaltitans.com/2006-articles/around-the-league-week-sixteen-forecast.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000With two weeks left to go in the regular season, many of this week’s games have playoff implications. I’ve listed those below and placed this week’s selections against the spread in boldface.
The Titans are hard to pick against after all the ways they’ve found to win in the last five games. For my pregame analysis of the Bills and Titans, please read my article on the game here.
Buffalo -4½ vs Tennessee
Titans 20
Bills 17
An elimination game. Winner stays alive, loser waits until next year.
Green Bay -3 vs Minnesota
Vikings 24
Packers 21
The Pack isn’t playing at home as well as they do on the road. Both teams are still mathematically alive. Another outright upset selection.
Kansas City -6½ at Oakland
Chiefs 17
Raiders 14
KC is still in the wild card picture at 7-7. Chiefs have lost three in a row and barely beat the Raiders a month ago. Oakland has lost seven in a row but the defense remains good and has been keeping them in games.Chicago -4½ at Detroit
Bears 28
Lions 17
Da Bears are on a roll again, have clinched home-field advantage, and can rest some people. The Lions are still trying to get the #1 draft pick.
St Louis -2 vs Washington
Rams 21
Redskins 20
I’ll take two points in a game that should be close if it means anything to the ‘Skins. The Rams still have faint playoff hopes.
New York Giants -3 vs New Orleans
Saints 28
Giants 17
G-men have lost 5 of last 6, Saints defense playing great. Saints in contention for first-round bye, Giants are contending for a wild-card invite.Pittsburgh -3 vs Baltimore
Steelers 20
Ravens 14
Both teams are on a roll, but the Ravens won 27-0 three weeks ago. Ravens still contending for first-round bye, Steelers still alive for wild card. I don’t like the Ratbirds.Atlanta (0) vs Carolina
Falcons 23
Panthers 17
Falcons are in the hunt in the playoffs, Carolina is in a free fall.
Jacksonville -3 vs New England
Jaguars 21
Patriots 20
Pats can clinch division, Jags need to win to stay alive for wild card berth. Give me three points in a close one.Indianapolis -9 at Houston
Colts 27
Texans 17
Colts need to win in race for first-round bye. Texans are going nowhere again.Cleveland -3 vs Tampa Bay
Browns 21
Buccaneers 17
I don’t have a clue how the Bucs scored 21 in the fourth quarter last week. An aberration.
San Francisco -4 vs Arizona
Cardinals 27
49ers 24
Two more teams with faint playoff hopes at 6-8. Arizona is plaing better with Leinart at the helm.Denver -3 vs Cincinatti
Broncos 24
Bengals 20
Both among four AFC teams with 8-6 records and inside track for a wild card. The loser will still be alive in the playoff picture but will need help. Can’t go with the Bungles after their offense didn’t show up last week. It’s been a long time since the Bengals have won at Denver.San Diego -4½ at Seattle
Chargers 28
Seahawks 21
Seahawks can clinch division, both teams looking for first-round bye.
Dallas -7 vs Philadelphia
Cowboys 28
Eagles 27
Winner takes first place in NFC East. Dallas has already clinched a playoff berth.
Miami -2½ vs New York Jets
Jets 21
Dolphins 17
The 8-6 Jets have a good shot at a wild card.
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